


I said I could bring him back... I never said he'd be the same

by Elaizel



Category: The Gates
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, My First Fanfic, Post-Canon, Spoilers for entire show
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:00:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29832219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elaizel/pseuds/Elaizel
Summary: Takes place after the end of The Gates. Mia and Brett track down Andie to tell her what really put Charlie in danger, Claire and Dylan face the consequences of how they got Emily as a daughter, and Nick rallies every one of his allies to free Charlie from Devon's control.
Relationships: Andie Bates/ Charlie Monohan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. Andie, Brett, and Mia

While Andie sat in the cab, she stared out the window, barely taking in the trees and hills rolling by. She had $1,000 saved up from birthdays and babysitting, before she’d found out about the succubus thing. It wasn’t enough to make a life on, but hopefully one of the contacts her mother had saved would know about succubi, and be willing to help her. From what Brett had said, the Gates was the biggest supernatural haven, but not the only one. She probably should have picked a small town, to avoid people better, but she’d spent her whole life in a suburb. She craved the noise and hugeness of a city. In Los Angeles, she could disappear. 

After the long cab ride, Andie stepped out onto the sidewalk of Ronald Reagan International Airport. She stared at the family in front of her, determined to do exactly what they did so she wouldn’t get lost. Or suspected of terrorism. She found herself worrying that the look on her face would make her look suspicious. And the way she had to check every ten seconds that her scarf was secure and her sleeves were tucked into her gloves probably didn’t help. But getting arrested would be better than sending anyone else into a coma. She jumped a little when the TSA agent called her forward, but she managed to hand her passport over without dropping it. She sighed as soon as she was through security. Finding her gate shouldn’t be too hard, even if she’d never done it on her own. 

Six hours later when the plane touched down, Andie took a bus to Little Tokyo. When she stepped out onto the curb she took a moment to stare at the small Budhist temple. The walls were white and the slates were powder blue. The roof curved over the doorway. There was a statue of a man with a wide, conical hat to the right. She tested the door and pushed it open when it wasn’t locked. A balding Asian man bent over at the other end of the church, cleaning the altar. 

“Excuse me?” Andie asked. The man turned around, revealing a very thick beard and warm eyes. 

“Hello there. How may I help you?” he said. 

“Um, I heard from Lula May that you offer lodging to in-between people,” Andie said, using the code words that had been written next to the address. The man’s eyes filled with clarity. 

“Indeed we do. Do you know much about the supernatural?” he asked. Andie moved her jacket off one shoulder and turned around to show him the blue veins growing up her spine like mold. 

“I know enough,” she said. 

“I see. Most of our rooms have bunk beds, but the attic is also open, if you’d feel more comfortable alone,” he said. Andie felt her heartbeat speed up, and she took a deep breath before asking the question she knew had to be asked. 

“Is it okay that I don’t have any control over this? I’ve been keeping every bit of skin covered and I’ll stay far away from people,” Andie blurted. The man’s eyes widened.

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s too dangerous for you to stay with us if you’ve been given no way to control your gift. Accidents could happen no matter how careful you are,” he said. Andie resisted the urge to sigh, knowing the only thing it would do was make this nice man feel guilty. And he was right to keep her away.

“It’s alright, I understand. Thank you for your time,” she said. 

“I believe Golden Age Vegan specializes in youths, so they might be better prepared for unmedicated succubi. Oh, and if they’re not an option, I heard there’s a gym that just opened, and it’s a branch of the Cubi Corps. I don’t recall the name, unfortunately,” he said. 

“That… that narrows down my list a lot. Thank you, sir,” Andie said. She left the temple smiling. Two places with recommendations was better than twenty black boxes. 

“Well, let’s try Golden Age Vegan,” she said. 

… 

Muscle Monsters. Sometimes the best clues were staring you right in the face. There was a cute, purple-furred, humanoid creature on the sign, flexing a large bicep. No one would ever guess the name was literal. Brett and Mia went around to the back of the building, where most entrances to the supernatural lay.  
Brett’s fist hovered in front of the Employees Only sign. He glanced at Mia.

“You’re sure this is the right place?” he asked. She didn’t deign to look at him. 

“My mom did the location charm three times. You don’t respect her skills?” she snapped. Brett winced at how she emphasized the word respect. That word had been hurled at him at every opportunity for the last week. He was starting to think he’d never be able to hear it again without feeling like a piece of shit. 

“No, I do, it’s just….” Brett said. 

“Grow up and knock on the door. You’re gonna make things right if I have to drag you in,” Mia said. Brett knocked as hard as he could without denting the door. He didn’t want Mia to think he was trying to avoid telling Andie the truth. A narrow panel slid away, revealing one dark brown eye. 

“This door is for employees only,” the stranger said. 

“Sumpa kita,” Mia whispered. The stranger hummed. 

“Kaligtasan,” they said, then Brett heard the sounds of metal scraping as the door was unlocked. The stranger opened the door and beckoned them in. The hallway was unlit, probably just in case a human got a peek. Wouldn’t want them seeing any pitch-black eyes or growing veins. 

“The Cubi Corps welcomes you,” they said. They wore a kevlar vest and gauntlets glinted on their forearms even in the low light. 

“Thank you for allowing us into your space,” Mia said as she passed the armored one. 

“Yeah, thanks,” Brett said.

He smelled the sweat as soon as he took a few steps in, and it became obvious this place really was a gym, as well as a Cubi sanctuary. There were several mats on the floor, with just enough space in between to walk around them. People wrestled, boxed, and stretched on the mats. Most of them wore comfortable exercise clothing, but the younger ones seemed to cover up more skin. Because they can’t control their powers yet, he guessed. The younger succubi were probably worried about draining too much life force. Like Andie had. 

Almost as soon as he thought about Andie, he spotted her, in the back left corner of the room. She was wearing black leggings, a loose long-sleeved shirt, and perfectly tailored gloves. Her arms were crossed, and she looked pale and tired but at least she wasn’t hurt or thin. She was listening to an Indian boy that had similar gloves but had left his arms bare. Brett kept moving toward her and the rest of the room fell away. He bumped into a girl but didn’t stop, leaving Mia to make apologies for him. Finally, he stood just a few meters from her. 

“Andie?” he said, his voice seeming to come from outside his body. Andie’s head jerked to the side, and the look of shock, followed by utter anguish, was burned into his eyelids. 

“Brett, what are you- you shouldn’t be here!” Andie said. Mia caught up to him. 

“Oh, that’s true, but for a different reason,” Mia said. 

“What are you talking about?” Andie said. Mia gave Brett a look that threatened arson if he didn’t give a satisfying answer. Brett’s lungs felt like they were shrinking, struggling to keep up with the oxygen he needed. The sounds of talking, flesh smacking on flesh, thumps as bodies hit the floor seemed to grow and echo in his skull, scrambling his thoughts. He took a deep breath and started reciting the explanation he’d worked out over the last week. The one with the excuses viciously scrubbed out, apologies added-on, all the facts volunteered until it was clear that it would never be enough to make up for what he did. 

“When Charlie got hurt, it wasn’t your fault. It was mine,” he started. Andie’s brows furrowed. 

“How could it be your fault? I’m the one who’s all screwed up and selfish,” she said. The Indian boy started to say something, but Mia shook her head at him.

“I diluted the devil’s weed while you were sleeping. So that you would drain Charlie’s life force accidentally, and think that the only one who could safely be with you was me. Because I did think that. That you were meant to be with me. And I’m the one who was stupid and selfish. And God, I’m so sorry,” Brett said. Andie blinked a lot, then clutched at her stomach. Brett realized that her pupils were dilated, and the sides of her neck were swollen. He remembered what Mia had said about the side effects of Andie’s medication before devil’s weed- one of them was nausea when Andie was emotional. His stomach dropped when he realized Andie had gone back to the pills that weren’t right for her, and now she was suffering even more because of him. 

“So, broke you into my room and messed with the mes- medicine that my life depends on, so that Charlie would gej- get drained and I’d think was my fault. And all this was to pressure me into getting back together with you, with my health and everybody’s safety as leverage. Am I getting all this right?” Andie stuttered. Brett swallowed. 

“Yes.”

… 

Andie’s eyes widened and her fists clenched. For a moment, she could see her fist smashing into his nose, sending blood spraying all over the floor. He’d double over to the side, not fighting back as she kicked him in the stomach. Because Brett would know he deserved to be knocked over like a dog after what he did. And she’d stomp on him, in all his important organs, until he felt all the pain and fear she’d felt when she had hurt Charlie. 

Then she blinked, stepped back until she was out of arms’ reach, and took as deep a breath as she could manage with all her muscles taut. Brett stared at her like a man on the edge of a cliff, waiting for her to push him over or yank him to safety. Resigned to the fall. And he would, but not like that impulse she’d had. Never like that. 

No, she’d let him fall in a better way- she would not forgive him. She wouldn’t say a single thing if he called himself an entitled bastard, or moaned about his flaws, or talked about how much he missed her. She wouldn’t let Brett fool her, with his guilt, into feeling sorry for him.

“I’m going to need you to walk away right now. Before fucking I do- Before _I do something_ I fucking regret,” Andie said. Brett swallowed, then backed away. The other succubi and incubi glared at him as he left the gym. Andie turned to Mia, who looked like she wasn’t sure whether to smile or cry. Andie spread her arms. 

“You found me,” she said. Mia grinned and hugged her, patting her back. Andie could barely feel it through the haze, but that was okay. 

“You really scared us with that shit, Andie, but I’m glad you’re okay,” Mia said. Andie nodded and swallowed around the thickness in her throat. 

“Hey, since the only reason the devil’s weed didn’t work was that it was… tampered with, that probably means I can go back to taking it, right?” Andie said. 

“Probably. It seemed like you were doing really well on it before,” Mia said. 

“Hey, does that mean you’ll consider asking Sophia to try a different medicine on you? Because I think we have some devil’s weed on hand,” Eshan said. Andie startled. 

“Oh my God, Eshan, I’m so sorry I didn’t introduce you. Mia, this is Eshan. He’s my classmate. Eshan, this is Mia, my best friend,” Andie said. Eshan grinned and reached out to shake Mia’s hand. 

“Don’t worry, even if I accidentally drain your soul, Sophia has a replacement,” he said. Mia rolled her eyes as she clasped his hand. 

“I know that’s not how cubi work. All it takes is a nice blanket burrito, and you’re all harmless,” Mia said. 

“Damn. I was hoping you’d be a little more clueless. It’s always fun to freak people out,” Eshan said. Andie shuddered. Black veins, gasps, Charlie collapsing looking half-dead….

“Oh. Unless you’ve been through the shit that Andie’s been through; then it’s not fun at all. Sorry, Andie,” Eshan said. Andie waved the apology away. 

“It’s fine. You were right about asking about a different medication. Maybe if I’d been more open about my symptoms…” Andie said, her mind starting to map out the possible paths her life could’ve taken even in the week since she’d come to Monster Muscles. 

“Hey. It’s no good thinking about what-ifs. Just focus on the present. You can go back to devil’s weed, you can come home…” Mia said. Andie gasped.

“Charlie! I’m not a walking vat of toxic waste- well, in terms of my powers anyway- so I can see him again. If he wants to. And if his parents agree. Shit, this is going to be a little complicated, but I can at least call,” Andie interrupted her. Mia winced, and Andie braced herself again. Her stomach was still churning from what Brett had told her, she wasn’t sure she could take another shock. 

“Um, about that- Charlie’s alive, and mostly fine, but we need to go somewhere private. And like, get you some tea and a place to sit down, because this is going to be a lot.”


	2. Andie and Mia, continued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mia gets Andie up to speed on all the stuff she missed out on.

Andie led Mia to her room. Her fingertips almost touched the walls when she stretched her arms, but at least she didn’t need to share it with anyone. The constant stress of avoiding touch would have wreaked havoc when combined with her medication. And she had a bed, a ceiling fan, a small desk for filling out job applications. It could have been worse. She sat at the desk and waited while Eshan took Mia to the common room to make the apparently vital cup of tea. When Mia got back she handed Andie a mug. Andie pressed both her hands to it, hoping for warmth even through her gloves. The medicine caused numbness, but if the tea was steaming she should have been able to feel it. The fact that it didn’t told her Mia had even cooled it enough to not burn her tongue. She took a sip, and it was chamomile. The sleepiest of all tea. Andie managed a small smile at Mia. 

“Your news must be pretty bad for you to be treating me like I might faint if I hear it,” she said, trying to make it a joke. Mia’s lips twitched. 

“I can neither confirm nor deny until you take another sip, Private Bates,” Mia said. Andie reminded herself to tell Mia she wasn’t actually a soldier, even in the unofficial Cubi Corps, then took a large gulp and set the mug on the desk. 

“Thanks for this- and for coming to find me. I know it was a long trip, and I really appreciate it,” Andie said, trying to practice saying what she felt. Erik would be glad his Communication Classes were rubbing off on her. Mia blinked, then smiled wide. 

“I wanted to do it. You’re real important to me Andie. Besides, you gave me an excuse to miss school without a detention,” Mia said. Andie giggled. 

“Yeah, sure. So… what happened?” Andie said. Mia sighed and rubbed her forehead. 

“So Charlie’s alive, but he’s under Devon’s control and is basically a super-strong, red-eyed, bodyguard…. thing,” Mia said. Andie stared down into the depths of her chamomile tea, wondering idly if she could divine answers from the dregs. 

“O-kay. How exactly did that happen? I thought your mom was going to heal Charlie.” 

“She tried, but it turned out the only one who could heal him was Devon. She did this thing where she killed him and then brought him back to life, but when he came back he was-”

“A super-strong bodyguard, yeah, you said,” Andie snapped. Nausea took hold of her again, and she pressed her arms to her stomach. Mia pushed the mug closer to her, but Andie shook her head. 

“I think if I drink anything right now I’ll throw up. I’m sorry I yelled at you; I shouldn’t have. Just- please tell me people back home are working on this?” Andie said. Mia nodded furiously. 

“Yeah, it’s all anybody’s thinking about. Charlie’s parents are rounding up every werewolf and vampire they know, trying to track Devon. And my Mom’s been working round the clock to try to find a way to break Devon’s control without undoing the revival spell. That’s actually why it took so long to find you, by the way. She’s had to split up her time between researching for Charlie and tracking you.”

“And I’m guessing the Monohans think her time’s better spent on their son than on the girl who put him in a coma,” Andie said sadly. Then she shook herself out of her self-pity. Soon she’d tell them the truth, and then they could blame Brett for what happened. She glanced up at Mia. “Why didn’t my Dad come and get me?” 

“He’s been helping to find Charlie. And with how things have been between you two, he said he thought you might respond better if a friend came to find you instead,” Mia said, picking a bit of dirt out from under her nail. Andie nodded, working out what Mia was leaving out. 

“He blames himself, doesn’t he? Because he thinks he didn’t do enough to stop me from going out with Charlie,” Andie said. Mia nodded. 

“Yeah. Hate to say it, but if you two want to get back together, none of your parents are going to be on your side,” Mia said. Andie sighed. Just when things started to get simpler… 

“But hey, it doesn’t matter what they think. You two are old enough to make your own decisions about your relationships. If you’re aware of the risks and you do everything you can to mitigate them, I’ll back you up,” Mia said. Andie smiled up at her. It warmed her even more than the tea that Mia was taking her side when she hadn’t quite understood Andie’s choices regarding Charlie before. 

“You’re the best, Mia,” Andie said. Mia leaned forward, a mischievous glint in her eye. 

“And if the reasonable way doesn’t work, you could always go for a lower blow and mention that Sarah married Nick even though she knew he was a cop and could die on the field, leaving her a widow and her children orphaned,” Mia said. 

“I can’t say that! They’d kill me!” Andie exclaimed. Mia shrugged. 

“Then I’ll tell them that, and while they’re busy trying to kill me, you and Charlie can sneak off to do… whatever,” Mia said, raising her eyebrows suggestively. 

“I take back every nice thing I said about you. You’re horrible,” Andie said. 

“You need someone horrible,” Mia said, grinning. Andie smiled back and slurped her tea. 

“Yeah, I do.”


	3. Brett and Eshan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More indulging my love for discussing psychological ramifications!

Brett tipped his large paper cup back until a cube of cherry-flavored ice slid into his mouth. He chewed it, enjoying the crunch. A couple of incubi sitting at the table next to him glared at him at the sound, and Brett winced. He didn’t smell or hear any of the signs of aggression escalating into an attack, but it still wasn’t comfortable being around so many people who had heard what he’d done to Andie and Charlie. He heard two sets of footsteps moving toward him, and smelled Mia’s vanilla perfume and sweat from the person with her. Brett looked up to see the Indian kid and Mia. The guy pointed at the counter piled with tea bags, coffee, and three kettles, and Mia smiled at him before walking over. The Indian kid leaned against a wall and seemed to be settling in for some people-watching before he spotted Brett. Then he tilted his head to the side and walked over to Brett’s table. 

“Hey. We didn’t get a chance to talk before. I’m Eshan,” he said, holding out his hand. Brett reached out and shook it, feeling weirdly adult. 

“I’m Brett,” he said. Eshan smiled, but he also watched Brett intensely, still with his head tilted. One predator sizing up the other, preparing for an attack. Brett kept eye contact but turned his palms up on the table. It’s what werewolves would do to show peaceful intentions, so it might work for protective incubi too. Apparently it did, because Eshan leaned back and tapped the seat across from Brett. 

“Can I sit down here?” he asked. 

“Uh, sure, but shouldn’t you be with Andie? I mean, you two are friends, right?” Brett said. Eshan plopped down into the plastic chair and rocked it back and forth, like he was used to the legs being uneven. 

“We’re friendly, but there’s some things she hasn’t been comfortable sharing with me yet, so I thought it was best I give her and Mia some privacy. I figure now that she’s decided to tell Sophia about how badly she’s reacted to the medicine, she’ll be okay,” Eshan said. 

“Your… healer, doctor, witch, whatever, didn’t know about it already?” Brett asked. From what Mia had said, Dr. Mueller had known the side effects by memory. 

“Sophia knows the common signs of medicine with a belladonna base, but the symptoms are different for everyone. She’s not a mind reader. Andie refused to tell her about the nausea, the fatigue, any of it, because she was _terrified_ of trying any other type of medication. And now, obviously, I know why,” Eshan said. Brett swallowed. 

“Look, I’m not going to say you’re a bad person because that’s not helpful. But you need to understand Andie’s going to have a lot of trouble communicating with her doctors about what she needs without feeling selfish, and that’s not going away even though you told her it wasn’t her fault,” Eshan said. Brett stared down at the table and blinked rapidly against the rising heat behind his eyes. Stupid, childish, to cry about something that was his fault. 

“I know. I know how much I messed up,” Brett said. Eshan stood and grabbed Brett’s empty cup, then walked to the soda machine. He came back with a cup of cherry fruit punch and a cup of Coke. He set the fruit punch in front of Brett and then sat down, slurping his Coke loudly. Eshan rocked his chair back and forth, and the clacking filled up the silence.


End file.
